Weekly Roundup: Volunteering, a nice Nestle rebate, and cooking thoughts

The weeks sure are flying by! Another Monday means it's time for another roundup (I've marked affiliate/referral links with an *, which means I may make a little bit of money if you make a purchase or sign up using that link - thank you!):

• If you have a child who needs an easy volunteer activity (or you're looking to do some volunteering yourself), check out Zooniverse. As a college counselor, I'm always on the lookout for opportunities for students, and this is a favorite because it's all online and there are a variety of projects to choose from.
  
  
• Nestle has a nice rebate deal: Buy $40 of participating Nestle products and get a $20 Visa Rewards Card (or get a $10 Visa Rewards Card when you spend $25; the list of participating products is quite long!)
  
  
• I had a surprising recipe fail this week. Usually I love RecipeTin Eats recipes but this recipe for braised beef short ribs was disappointing. Partly it was because I don't like short ribs, and it turns out, neither does my husband! Apparently I'd misunderstood him years ago when I thought he said he loved them. 😂😂 But the problem wasn't really the short ribs but the sauce - it just never cooked down to a saucy consistency, and didn't have much flavor. 
  
  
• Notwithstanding that recipe, I did want to report that I love my new induction range. I got this rather more expensive Bosch model* because I really wanted the edges that go all the way to the counter, leaving no gap for food to fall in. (This is where I admit that I'm not the neatest cook.) I have no complaints about adjusting the heat (it's actually easier on this stove than my very old gas stove, on which I could never really manage a very low heat), and water boils so much faster now.
  
  
• My older son will be living off campus next year, so I'm compiling a list of no-cook and super easy meals (because he doesn't cook yet, and I don't know how much he'll want to). For example, one snack I've prepared for him in the past is crackers with cream cheese and lox, which would make a decent meal with some carrot sticks and fruit. I'd love any ideas you want to share - thanks in advance!
  

Please let me know if there's something you'd love to see in the roundup. And I'll be sending out my revamped monthly newsletter via email later this week!